Shaun of the Dead 2: Deadhead Boogaloo
by JessicaDwyer
Summary: Set a year or so after the film. Shaun has been left by Liz for good. He's alone in the world until a girl from America meets him in a pub. Things are looking up for our hapless hero, until some dumbass has to spoil it for everyone.
1. Chapter 1 Getting To Know You

**Disclaimer: Okey Dokey. I do not own Shaun of the Dead, nor do I own Shaun. Or Simon Pegg for that matter...which depresses me and makes me cry day after day because dammit, he's cute. But anyway...I do own Emily and any other original characters in this piece.**

**I have not seen any Shaun of the Dead fic out there, so maybe mine is the first. Who knows...I hope you like it though and feel free to send me feedback on how you think its going. The more feedback the quicker the chapters appear.**

**Oh and since they didn't really tell you much about Shaun other than he played video games, liked Electro and old 80's music, I've incorporated a bit of Tim from Spaced into his character, so now he likes comics too. It works funnily enough.**

**There isn't that much zombie stuff happening in this first chapter. You could say this is the ROMCOM part.**

**For those of you who like Shaun of the Dead, watch Spaced on Trio. Freaking funny show, and well written. Tim is my dream bolt.**

London had changed since the last time she'd been there. Admittedly it had been a little over 10 years. She'd gone after her high school graduation and she'd loved every minute of it, especially the Forbidden Planet comic book store.

So, Emily decided that the best way to get over Dave being an ass and leaving her after 5 years of marriage was to go to England and have some fun. She took a good chunk of her vacation time from work since she'd not really had any kind of vacation ever and left.

Her internet friend from England told her to come on by and she could stay with her. She'd be happy to have her any time. So she took Deb's offer and told her when she'd be coming. They'd hit the comic stores together and watch a marathon of Red Dwarf and Doctor Who until their brains turned to mush. She'd take her to see the sights and show her how the zombies were working out.

She didn't really know if she'd enjoy the last bit. That whole thing had totally freaked her out when it had happened. Right out of a damn Romero flick. Thankfully only parts of London and its outlying areas had been affected by the radiation. But it had been a nightmare that was still being shown on TV a year after it had happened.

But leave it to people to find a way to profit off of the suffering of others. The fact that the living dead were being used as a cheap work force...that was just creepy and it made her feel like a ghoul.

Emily took a drink of the amber ale she'd ordered and looked about the small pub Deb had brought her to. Along the walls newspaper headlines that had been framed from around the globe, detailing the events of what would forever be known as Z-day. These were mixed in with older, yellowed newsprint talking about World War 1 and 2 and Vietnam.

Deb thought the stuff was fascinating, and she wanted to share with her the experience of going to an honest to god pub. So she'd picked the "Printing Press" since it was close by and had good food and booze.

"So you see, "she said gesturing around the room with her neon blue painted nails. "The place used to be an old newspaper office. The antique printing press is downstairs in the basement."

"It's really neat," Emily replied, "And they do have damn good beer."

Deb smiled and took a drink of her dark larger. "No kidding there. My boyfriend Tom works here as a bartender. So I get free drinks a lot. I'll have to introduce you when his boss leaves."

Emily laughed. That explained part of why this was one of her favorites. And why the tall, lanky guy with the red hair was staring at them as he wiped down the counter.

"So what's the plan for tonight then?" Deb asked her, pulling out a pack of smokes from her large, multi plaid purse.

Before she could reply, the bell above the door rang as it was opened. Emily's gaze was automatically drawn to it as in walked a man she'd never seen before.

He was about her age, but his eyes looked years older. They were sad and a dark color that seemed blue and gray at the same time. His eyes were what drew her. He had short blonde hair that seemed mussed up, but suited him. And a trimmed goatee that was just a shade darker. He was wearing baggy brown corduroy pants and an equally baggy tan sweater. The guy didn't look like he'd been sleeping or eating for a couple of days.

He took off his back pack and headed to an empty table towards the back corner. He sat facing out towards the front door and she could have sworn that he'd cased all the exits before he took his seat.

"Hey Deb," Emily asked shrugging towards the guy. "Who is that?"

Deb looked towards the man in tan. She blew out a stream of smoke before she replied. "Oh him." She shook her head, laughed, and took a drink of her larger. "That's our local hero. His name is Shaun."

Emily gave her a funny look. "Local hero? Then why are you laughing?"

Deb took another drag. "Because...the story goes like this: When Z-day happened, Shaun over there tries to be this big hero and goes to save his mum and girlfriend and some other blocks by holing up in this pub down the way called The Winchester. Well he totally bollacks the thing up and his mum and everyone with him but his girlfriend get off'd."

Emily's mouth fell open. "Why the hell is that funny? That's awful!"

Deb put out her cigarette. "Because dear, the guy was a loser from get go. I know him from school. He was working as an appliance salesman for god's sake. I know his ex too, and she told me the whole thing. She admitted she was bonkers for ever going along but she still cared for him at the time."

Emily looked back over at Shaun. He'd gotten his drink and was staring out at nothing as he took a sip. He looked so lost.

"So, why didn't this ex stay with him? I mean it sounds like the guy risked his life for her." She asked.

"Yeah, even Liz admitted that." Deb took a long swig this time. "Well, she tried to give it a go, but she said it just was never going to work out. Too much had happened and she'd changed, but Shaun didn't change enough. You know the routine. Anyway, Shaun over there wrote a comic book based off of Z-day. It even got turned into a game for like the PlayStation or something."

"So, this Liz left him?"

Deb nodded. "Yep, a little over six months ago, about the time..."

"Dave left me." She finished for her.

"Yeah..." Deb paused for a minute. "I think she went to Kent or something. I haven't talked to her for a while."

Emily already didn't like this Liz person. But she wasn't going to say anything since Deb was apparently friends with her. She looked back over at Shaun and her heart went out for the guy. He looked like a real sweetheart, and she'd done her share of stupid things in life too. She knew what it was like to be left alone.

She jumped when Deb touched her arm. "Hey gal, uhm...do you mind if I pop away for a bit?" She glanced over to where Tom was standing next to a door that said storage, obviously waiting for her to join him.

Emily smiled knowingly "Not at all Deb, go have some fun for me while you're at it."

"No worries there!" Deb gave her hand a squeeze as she got up from the table and made her way towards her apron wearing beau.

The pub was relatively empty, with only Shaun, two very old men sitting at the actual bar, and her inside.

Emily thought a moment and then, picked up her glass and headed over to the back of the pub.

Shaun didn't even glance her way as she came to stop next to his table. "Excuse me?" She said softly.

He actually jumped at the sound so close to him and looked up at her with those sad eyes. "Yes?" His voice was almost whisper quiet, as though he hadn't spoken to anyone in a while.

"Could I join you?" She gave him a smile.

He looked at her like she was crazy. And then suspicion washed over his face. "Why?"

"Well, my friend is now bumping nasty with her guy in the storage room and you looked like you could use someone to talk to. Also, I don't trust being left alone with the two guys on the stools over there."

Shaun glanced over at Bernard and Hugh. "Those two I assure you will not be bothering you. In fact...I should be the one worried about being left alone with them."

Emily laughed at the thought, looking at the two men and noticing how smartly dressed they were, and the fact they were holding hands. Shaun looked up at her again and noticed how nice her laugh was. Full and real, nothing faked about it.

She turned sky blue eyes back to him. They twinkled in the light from the lamp hanging above the table. "So I guess that means you need protection then. So can I take a seat?"

Not really knowing why she'd even want to be seen with him, he decided to just acquiesce and let the American have her way. "Feel free." He gestured to one of the wooden chairs next to him.

Emily sat down and Shaun immediately went back to staring off into space. Now that she'd started this, she didn't really know where to begin. "So I hear all your loved ones became zombie food." Didn't really sound like a way to get off on the right foot.

She decided that giving him her name would be a good idea. She held out her hand to him. "My name's Emily."

He looked at her hand and then shook it. Her fingers were warm against his. "Shaun." His voice sounded resigned.

"So Shaun, what brings you here tonight?" God I sound so lame, she thought to herself.

He held up his glass in answer of her question. "My life's new ambition is to drink until my liver tears itself away from my body and beats me to death."

Emily lifted her eyebrows at that. "Everyone has to have some kind of goal." She replied.

Since she was apparently sticking around, Shaun decided to go ahead and chat. He didn't have anything else to do and no one really waiting for him at home. "Really, so what's yours then?"

She pondered that for a moment, and took a drink. "I don't really know now. I used to, but my ex really fucked that up."

Her bluntness got to him, and he nearly choked on his ale. "Wha...(cough) what did he do?"

Emily saw a pack of smokes sticking out of his backpack. David had made her swear never to smoke along with putting a stop to eating what she wanted to and a few other things that really pissed her off the more she thought about it. "Can I have one of those?"

Shaun grabbed two out of the pack and handed her one, lighting it for her first and then his own. As she inhaled he looked over at her left had. There was the undeniable sign of were a wedding band used to be.

Emily let the nicotine do its thing for a few seconds before replying to his question. "Well, besides the fact that he destroyed what little self esteem I had before I married him, he screwed one of his fellow bankers on our kitchen table while I was at a comic book convention."

Shaun's mouth fell open. What did you really say to that? "Did he use Lysol on it after he was done?" Didn't really sound like a good way to go.

"So anyway..." She continued on, draining the last of her ale. "I found out about them and it was the last straw. He was more than willing to leave since apparently this blonde was his real soul mate, or some crap." Emily felt tears starting to sting the corners of her eyes. She'd thought she was over this...no more wasting tears on the bastard, no more crying into her pillow at night.

She didn't even know this Shaun guy and she was pouring her heart out to him. Wasn't this a little too personal for a guy she'd known for a little over five minutes? Oh who cared? The truth was, she needed to talk to someone too, to get the last of it out of her, to purge the pain and be done with it.

She kept talking. "The thing is, I left behind what I really wanted to do for this guy, and that's how he paid me back...I left my dream because it embarrassed him..." That did it. The tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Oh my god I'm a loser."

Shaun hated seeing women cry. He absolutely hated it. And even though this girl was just a little less than a total stranger, it bothered him to no end to see her cry like this. In fact, if this ex of hers had been in the room with him he'd probably have to smash his face in with a beer bottle.

He patted her hand. "Hey hang on there...Your not the loser as far as I can see it. You got rid of the prat...You didn't need him."

Emily looked up at him and her eyes were glossy with tears. Shaun knew all about the emotions she was feeling. The rejection and the hurt, the loneliness and wondering about what else you could have done to make it work.

Her eyes were so sad. "The truth is he didn't need me." She said softly.

Shaun felt his heart break even more then it already was at those few words. He took hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't ever think that Emily. Not for a second. The guys a fucking bastard, and you're better off."

He turned towards the bar, where Tom's co worker was drying glasses. "Two more of these." He told the barman, who nodded and went to the tap.

He turned back to the girl and handed her a napkin. "Dry your eyes pickle. I'll be right back."

As Shaun went up to the bar he wondered what he was doing. Maybe it was because he could relate, maybe it was kindred spirits running into each other. Or maybe seeing someone in equal or greater misery than himself made it easier to deal with his own. Either way he felt the need to at least be there to listen, because no one had been there for him.

He grabbed the two lagers and headed back to the table. Emily sat there, head in hands. He placed one of the glasses in front of her and took his seat. "Try that." He told her.

She took a sip and grimaced at the bitterness. "You'll get used to it. Trust me." He said giving her a rare smile.

"It's like eating raw coffee beans mixed with diet coke." Emily licked the foam from her upper lip.

Her eyes were a little red rimmed, but she wasn't crying anymore. That was a good thing.

"You must think I'm a total nut job." She brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear.

"Nah...well...nah..." Shaun shook his head and took a drink of his own beer. "I can relate is all."

"So what happened to you?" She asked at last, wanting to see if she could get the real story out of him.

He hesitated, wondering if he had the energy to even go through it in his head again. He'd cried and cried until he couldn't anymore. Nightmares on and off for the better part of a year, then the day they came and took Ed would always be etched in his mind.

The big dead lummox had actually moaned out his name in an eerie "Shaaaa..nnn"as they loaded him on the truck. He hadn't even been dangerous. Shaun had actually got him tame. But someone had to have seen him in the shed or something and called the brigade. In one sad little corner of his head he suspected Liz might have even called it in herself.

He'd been so depressed after that mess he'd really needed Liz. But she'd said that it was for the best. There was no telling what could have happened with him being back there. And then she'd say it was best not to live in the past. Which in hindsight made him laugh all the more because one of her reasons for leaving was too much had happened. Wouldn't that constitute living in the past?

Shaun realized he'd been holding on to it for a long, long time. He decided why not share with a person who hadn't been there, see what her look was on it. What the hell? So he took a large swallow of his beer and looked over at the girl who had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen and a great laugh and began his story.

Emily had seen Deb come out of the storage room looking rumpled and smiling a while ago.

She'd glanced over and saw her talking to Shaun and her mouth fell open. Deciding it would be best just to head back to her flat and let her friend have her time with the loser, she left a note at the bar telling Emily that she'd leave the key under the mat and that she'd be going out with Tom later. If she wanted to join them, she also left the name of the club. With that she left, a semi-horrified look on her face that Emily would actually be talking to the guy.

It was three pints later when Shaun actually finished his story, ending it with the final break-up with Liz. Both he and Emily were good and buzzed, and the booze helped him deal a bit with all memories talking about Z-day drudged up.

When he was done Emily looked at him and simply said "Jesus fucking Christ."

Shaun shrugged. What could you really say about a story like his?

"Well...that makes my sob story seem pretty lame ass." She took another drag from her cigarette. They'd just about finished his pack.

"I may have some pretty crazy shit in my life, but that doesn't mean it was right what your ex did to you. It doesn't diminish it you know." Shaun drank down the last of his pint. "Hang on ...did you say you were at a comic convention when he...?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah...I finally got to go to the San Diego Comicon. It was so amazing it almost made up for the fact he was messing around on me."

Shaun perked up. "I've always wanted to go to that too. You know they had Halle Berry there one year?"

She shuddered. "Yeah promoting Catwoman of all things."

He nodded, "I think I actually blocked that movie from my mind."

"Everyone should."

Shaun reached into his back pack and pulled out a comic sleeved in clear plastic. "Well, this ones mine. Writing this actually helped me some. And the money wasn't bad either." He handed it over to her.

On the cover was a picture of a slightly buffer Shaun, some kind of weapon in hand. Next to him a large, burly zombie was apparently fighting along with him against an encroaching horde of the undead. That had to be Ed. She smiled at the image. He must have really loved his friend.

"Can I open it?" She asked. He nodded, actually feeling nervous at what she would think. Even though it had sold really well, he wanted her to like it.

Inside was the story as she guessed Shaun would have wanted it to play out. He was in command of the situation, taking down zombie's right and left. Even though his buddy was bitten and changed, their bond of friendship kept them loyal to one another. Ed fought with Shaun and saved his mum and step-father from the hordes. And Liz, who was a beautiful blonde, was in love with him. He saved her life and the lives of her friends and they all made it out to the shelters in the end, so the army could clean up the mess.

It was really good and she liked the artwork by some guy named Tim. She looked over at Shaun who seemed a bit nervous. "This is awesome Shaun. Are you doing anymore?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so...I'm just not...I don't think so."

Emily could understand that answer. There was no happy ending in his life. The girl didn't stay with the hero and so he was a bit broken.

"It's funny though." She said touching the cover. "This was my dream."

Shaun gave her a look. "What was?"

"Writing comics, that's what I wanted to do." She handed the comic back to him after putting it in its sleeve. "I've never been that great with drawing, but I could always write out a good story once in awhile."

As he put the comic back in his bag, Shaun turned back to her, "And your ex was ashamed of that!"

"He thought it was childish. He was trying to make it in this world of finance and there was no room for things like that. His wife was supposed to be respectable." Her voice grew tight on the words and she took another drink.

"What a twat." That pretty much summed up his feelings about this guy. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you take up with him in the first place?"

She laughed shaking her head. "Before he became Mr. Corporate he wasn't a bad guy. I guess it was the fact he paid some attention to me. No one had really done that. So I latched on I suppose. I guess I never really knew him."

"His loss." Shaun said the words to himself, but she heard it.

Emily gave him a smile. "Thanks Shaun."

He gave her one back, and it actually felt good. "You're welcome Em."

"The same goes for you. You're a great guy Shaun...don't let anyone ever tell you different. Fuck em all." She held up her nearly empty glass and Shaun, laughing, followed suit and lifted his now drained glass above his head. They clinked them together shouting in unison "Fuck em!"

Emily drank down the last of her bitter larger. Damn him, but she did like it now for some twisted masochistic reason. She happened to glance at her watch and saw that they had been at the table for nearly four hours. "Oh lord...it's almost eleven o'clock."

Shaun lifted his brows in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah...Deb's probably going to kill me." She looked around for her bag.

Shaun felt that dark cloud that he'd came in with roll back in full force. "Oh...I guess you'll be leaving then?" He said, his voice low.

Just then the older barman came up to their table. "Excuse me Miss. As it looks like your getting ready to leave, your friend left this for ya." He handed her the pink piece of paper Deb had left her note on.

"Oh thanks!" She took it and quickly read it. "She's gone out with Tom to a club."

Shaun nodded, already thinking about the empty flat he had to go home to.

"Say, do you want to go?" She looked over at him, giving him a winning smile.

He looked like a deer in headlights. Go out to a club? How long had it been since he'd done that?

"Uh...uhm..." He stammered, her eyes caught him and he couldn't help but say, "Why not?"

"Great! I have to tell you I have never gone to a club in this country before...so I'll probably embarrass the hell out of you" She said as she tried to stand up. Shaun was picking up his bag as he saw her waver and then almost fall back down. He grabbed her arm to steady her. "Whoa..." she said grabbing hold of the table.

"I should have warned you about that. If you're not used to it, it pretty well kicks your ass." He put his arm around her waist to support her. "You okay?"

She glanced up and gave him a goofy grin. "Yeppers I'm fine. Just a little buzzed."

"A little...nice try." He held onto her just in case her "little" buzz caused her to break her neck. "So what club are they at?"

"Some place called Drama, do you know it?" They were out on the cracked sidewalk now, the night air chilly and damp. A low fog had swept in making the neighborhood look haunted.

Shaun nodded. He and Liz would go there sometimes. They usually had a decent DJ on hand. He actually was looking forward to going, which surprised him. He knew Liz wouldn't be there now, so he wouldn't have to worry about that meeting. "It's a good club, a lot of electro and old school."

He led them down the street and Emily enjoyed the feel of his arm around her. She noticed he kept it there even after she'd gotten the ability to walk straight back. They talked music and this and that until they came to the entrance of Drama!

There was a bit of a line and they took a spot at the end. The thumping of bass and synth leaked out on the street and Emily felt slightly under dressed for the place in her jeans, black Ramones t-shirt and pull over. In front of them it looked like a line for the rave rollercoaster at Disneyland. Neon glowing jewelry lit the dark street.

"Jeesh...Will they even let us in since we don't look like we just came from Chernobyl?" She asked him.

He patted her shoulder. "No worries, they aren't too picky about that. Besides, your cute, you have that going for you."

She blushed, and in her slightly drunken stupor touched his chin, giving his beard a light scratch. "You're not so bad yourself, ye of the golden goatee of power."

Shaun rolled his eyes, but couldn't help laughing. "You are so pissed."

"Fucking A." She replied.

They made it in, Shaun paying much to her indignation. "You got the drinks at the pub!" She told him punching his arm.

"Don't worry about it." He told her handing their coats and bags to the check girl and taking the ticket.

When they got inside, Shaun realized that they had done some remodeling, much to his dismay. Hanging from the ceiling were two dance cages, inside each was a female zombie. They were actually dancing, well sort of. Emily was as creeped out as he was.

"Jesus that's just...not right." She said.

"No kidding." He replied. "Let's go and see if we can't find your friend."

With his eyes on the zombies hanging above him they made their way across the crowded dance floor.

Emily looked around for Deb and Tom. She eventually found them at a table towards the back. She waved and Deb returned it, her eyes on Shaun.

When they got to the table Tom greeted Shaun with a handshake. They apparently knew each other from the pub. Deb gave him the once over. "Hello Shaun."

Shaun knew her from somewhere. And then it dawned on him. "Deborah Foreman?" He said aloud.

She smiled. "That's right. Graduated 93 with ya."

Shaun slumped down in his chair. Liz was friends with this woman. At least they used to be. That was just great...God did he have to leave the country now?

Emily sat next to Shaun, her foot thumping the floor in time with the loud music that surrounded them. "This is pretty cool." She said, nearly having to yell.

Deb smiled. "Yah, it's a bit alright. Tom's trying to get on here since the pub's a little boring."

Tom was looking out across the floor, his large eyes glassy. He was on something a bit stronger than booze, Emily could tell.

"Let's go and dance love." Deb said grabbing his long fingered hand and pulling him out of his chair. "You two gonna join us?" She asked them.

"Maybe." Emily replied, noticing Shaun had grown quiet.

Deb and Tom left them and Emily poked him on the shoulder.

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"You okay? If you want to leave we can." She told him. She knew having those dead girls hanging above them was probably causing him some freak out.

"No, no. That's okay, I'm fine. Just a little weird that's all." He sat back in his chair. "She's friends with Liz." He said with a resigned sigh.

"Oh..." Emily could have slapped herself on the head. She forgot about that, and her dumbass hadn't even thought that Shaun might know her too.

He changed the subject. He had decided as he watched Tom and Deb walking out on the dance floor that he was going to have fun. He was not going to ponder on the past and think about Liz or anything else. He was going to enjoy being in the company of nice girl and that was that. "So, how long before you think you'll be able to dance without risk to your health?"

Emily looked at him surprised, and then tried to ascertain her own blood alcohol level. "Uhm...good question."

He grinned at her and stood up, offering her a hand. "I'll just have to hold tight then won't I?"

She smiled up at him and placed her hand in his. "Guess I'll just have to trust you." She said.

They made their way out on the floor and danced along. She laughed as she almost fell a couple times, but Shaun always caught her. About half way through the 3rd song she moved up close to him, raising her voice to be heard above the noise. "I must look like the biggest idiot out here."

He laughed, "No not quite." And pointed over to where a lanky tall guy with a head of multi colored hair and an earring with a chain attaching it to his nose ring was slamming against a wall repeatedly.

"Oh that looks like fun, why aren't we doing that?" She laughed and then bounced back into the beat.

It was almost 2 am when the club starting getting a bit emptier. The music was still pumping and Shaun and Emily were still out on the floor after a break for some bottled water.

They had gotten separated at one point, and Shaun had fought through the crowd looking for her in the still packed mass of bodies. He found her trying to fend off a bloke in a leather jacket and pants, who was trying cope a feel of her backside.

"Hey mate, move along." He said as he came up along side of them.

The guy was a weasely looking sort and as he turned his beady eyes on Shaun he laughed. "What are you about blondie, get lost."

Shaun narrowed his eyes. He'd seen a lot worse than this loser. "I said move along. She's with me." His voice grew deeper and so did his eyes. Emily couldn't believe the change, but she had to admit she liked it.

"Yeah, get lost. I told you I wasn't interested." She pushed the creeps arm away from her.

"I didn't ask you bitch." The guy said.

That did it. Shaun reared back his arm and punched the guy square in the jaw. He dropped like a stone. "Ow!" He said shaking his fingers as the pain radiated up his arm. "Boney little bastard."

Emily moved to his side, her eyes wide. "Wow...good shot."

"Thanks." He replied giving the now unconscious prick a glare.

She took hold of his hand and looked at his knuckles that were turning red. "Are you okay?" Emily rubbed her thumb along them gently.

Shaun got a tingle up his arm that had nothing to do with the punch he'd landed. "Yeah, but we should probably move to the other side of the floor."

"Good idea."

They went back to where they had started dancing, sitting on the raised floor where the tables were. The music switched tempo to a song that Emily actually recognized. A slow, almost lullaby called "Rock Me Gently" by Erasure. She smiled. "I love this song."

Shaun looked around and saw that half the floor had cleared off and most of the people who were left were couples now dancing close and slow. He looked over at Emily who was gazing out at the floor. Her eyes were far away, and he wondered if David had ever danced to this song with her. He doubted the prat had ever danced with her period, come to think of it.

He glanced over into the mirrored glass along the wall and tweaked his hair into a semblance of mussy order and stood up. He held out a hand to her and gave her a smile. "Shall we?" He asked.

Emily broke out of the semi trance she'd been in. Memories were a bad bad thing. She looked up into the eyes of her companion and she was brought back to herself. "Yes I think we shall." She replied and took his hand.

The song was slow and beautiful and the lyrics fit the mood they were both in. Emily rested her head on his shoulder and Shaun held her close, closing his eyes and just moving along with her. This near to her, he could smell the scent of roses that clung to her hair.

After a few moments she spoke "Shaun..." her warm breath tickling along his neck.

"Mmm?" He murmured in response.

She lifted her head away and looked into his big dark blue eyes. "Thank you." She said softly.

Shaun knew that this was the chance. This was that opportunity to either stay a friend to this girl or go that extra step and become something more. This was the crossroad. His heart was so sick of being shit on by the world that it was trying to jump from his chest and run. But there was that part of him that felt deep inside that she wouldn't hurt him. That she knew what it was like. He also knew that this had been one of the best nights of his life, or at least for the last year or so.

So Shaun made a decision and went with it. He took hold of her chin and leaned down and kissed her. He kissed her like there was no tomorrow and she didn't pull away or hit him, for which he was thankful. In fact she kissed him back with a full on fury of her own.

When they broke away, he whispered against her ear "Your welcome." They resumed dancing, holding each other a little tighter than before.

Deb saw the exchange and shook her head. "She just attracts them I suppose."

Tom snorted up a tiny spoon of white powder and looked over at her with wide pupils. "Wha?"

Deb took a drag off of her cigarette. "Losers Tom, she attracts losers."

Shaun was happy as they swayed to the final chords of the song. He actually was happy. Nothing could ruin this night at least. Nothing could. He wondered if Emily would like to come back to his place for a cup of tea, and as the song ended he leaned down and asked her.

She nodded yes and Shaun went to get their stuff.

Emily headed over to where Deb sat and told her where she was going. Tom was laughing strangely and looking really weird. Her friend gave her a hug and told her to enjoy herself, and that the key would be under the mat if the came home that night.

She wanted to get away from Tom because he was wierding her out, and for that matter so was Deb. Her eyes were pupils were huge and creepy as were her boyfriends. She hurried off to Shaun who was waiting with her coat slung over his arm.

"Ready?" He asked her as he helped her on with her jacket.

"Yeah, let's run away."

They walked out onto the sidewalk and Shaun put an arm around her shoulders. It was dark and colder than before. The fog was thicker and Emily cuddled up closer to him for warmth. He didn't mind a bit and kept thinking how maybe for once everything was going to be okay.

Shaun had no idea.


	2. Chapter 2 Gore and Greed

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Shaun of the Dead. That belongs to some really hot, funny guys in England. (Simon oh Simon...) So here we are with the 2nd chapter. This one does in fact have zombies and blood, and the dumbass actually mentioned in the synopsis. No Shaun or Emily in this part though. Thank you to the first reviewer. They liked it! Yay. **

**Just a note here...I'm going to play this like this like not everyone knows the bite can infect you. Yeah yeah...it's been a year and not everyone watches the news or pays attention. Also, people are just stupid. You want zombie action, you got it!**

Conner Thompson hated his job. It actually went beyond hate into the realm of complete and utter disgust and loathing. If it wasn't for the simple fact that he wouldn't be able to get on anywhere else thanks to his lengthy criminal record, he'd have told the boss to fuck off long ago.

As it was, he was part of the security detail for the converted prison that was now home to the just over 200 remaining "animates", the PC term now being used for the zombies that were left in town.

They were brought back here by truck after whatever jobs they were used for every night. It was a risky business, being on the detail, but it paid well. Yet sometimes all the money in the world wasn't enough for what he saw and smelled every bloody night.

But money was on his mind this night. A lot of money, enough that he wouldn't have to deal with this lot of shite ever again. The Nightly Reader was one of the top tabloids in the UK, and he'd been contacted by one of his old mates from the days of being known as Conman Conner who worked as an informer for the rag with a proposition.

A reporter by the name of Lon Barry wanted to sneak into The Dead Zone, the pet name for the joint, and take some photos of the conditions the animates were kept in. Rumor was it was like a hellish, dirty nightmare, and that was always good for a story. It would also stir up controversy and a shit storm of trouble for the high ups. That was always good for circulation too, since animate rights were the big thing at the moment.

Conner spat on the ground at the thought, and took a swig of burning whiskey from his flask. Animate rights his ass. These things deserved to be torched. There was nothing left human in em, and he would know. But he had no say in that, he just carted them around and kept them in their cages.

It was a cold miserable night, and the damp seeped in through his cheap coat. Conner checked his watch for the fifth time in a half hour. It was close to 3, that's when shift change happened and when it would be easiest to get the wanker in and out quick. He'd told Barry to be here at five minutes til. "Hurry up you bastard." He murmured aloud.

He heard the sound of footsteps crunching along the ground and turned to see the boyish reporter hurrying up to him. "Sorry it took so long...fog was bloody awful."

Conner gave him a glare, his nearly black brown eyes hard in the weak light from the security lamps. "Come on...if you want this we have to hurry."

They turned to go, but the larger man stopped and turned. With a sneer he held out his hand. "First things first though..."

Lon nodded, his blonde hair bobbing across his forehead. "Of course." He handed the man a thick envelope. "It's all there."

Thompson opened it quickly and peered inside. He knew where to find the guy if it wasn't. "Follow me then." He shoved the cash in his back pocket and they made there way through the foot thick steel door.

Barry had never seen the like. It wasn't the filth he had expected, but the smell was beyond anything he'd ever experienced. It came from the meat they had to feed these things, that and the fact that some of them had been damaged when they were made into an animate or afterward. Things were...exposed.

He took photo after photo of the 3 sometimes 4 of the creatures that were packed into the small cells. They wandered around merely stumbling into each other and moaning, that awful sound. Some though seemed smarter than others, and they sat and looked around as if trying to remember something. Those were even creepier and he took pictures of them. There was one in particular; a large heavy set one with messy brown hair who was watching television. He actually appeared to be scratching himself.

"I want to get closer, is there anyway to do that?" He asked Conner after a few minutes.

"What? You want me to throw you in the cage with one of em?" The thought had crossed his mind. Like they would notice another body, and he had already been paid.

"No, no of course not. But maybe up to the door?" Barry didn't trust the security guard, but he wanted to get that one shot that would really sell the story.

Conner looked around nervously. He had about five minutes before they would start rounds again. "Fine....but we have to hurry." He grabbed the younger mans arm and pulled him down a flight of stairs to third floor of cells. They had just finished feeding time before they came in so the damn things were busy eating.

"Perfect." The reporter smiled and started popping away at his camera. Conner kept his eyes peeled, just knowing they were going to get caught.

After the first flash, one of the females in the cage Barry was in front of looked up. Her cracked blue lips were spattered with blood from the carcass she'd been eating. She could smell him...he was alive...alive meant fresh meat. Fresh was better than dead.

Her brain had changed to one of the more primitive animate mentalities. Eat. That was her function. As she turned her pale dead eyes to look at the man and the bright light, she could tell he was still to far away. The metal kept him out of reach. She'd learned this from past attempts. She looked down at the bucket in front of her, remembering something...a flicker of a picture in her head. Wet, slippery...yes...

She pushed the bucket over, the red gory contents spilling out across the concrete floor and towards the man with the light. The dead woman readied herself...almost smiling.

Lon didn't realize the stuff had hit his shoes until it splashed up over them and the spatter hit his leg. "Oh gawd." He said aloud lifting one shoe and then the other. "Disgusting!" He put his left foot down and the blood squelched loudly underneath, and then the inevitable happened...like a train wreck.

He slipped, his hands shooting out to grasp the bars of the cage on impulse. The minute his fingers gripped the bars she was there, sinking her teeth into his hand. He screamed, and the sound echoed along the thick walls, the scent of fresh blood making every deader in the place stand up. All except for the large one who was entranced by a cricket game on his television.

Conner saw it and moved to pry the idiot away from the cage. He grasped the mans wrist and tried yanking. While this was happening a bald, half his brain showing thug moved from the corner and managed to bite into his arm through the bars, his cheek bones crunching into his face at the effort to push his head through the narrow space.

Conner let out a yell of agony and elbowed him in the forehead through the bars as hard as he could. The zombie let him go, taking a hunk of shirt and flesh with him. With a final pull and yell he yanked the reporter away from the female. His hand was a bloody mess and he was crying like a baby as blood shot in an arc from his shredded palm. "Oh my god...oh my god..."

Thompson pulled a filthy handkerchief from his pocket and quickly wrapped it around his arm. The wanker could fend for himself. He pulled the wailing man to his feet, grabbing the camera from the floor and shoving it into his arms. "Come on, we have to get the fuck out of here!" He yelled into the other mans ear, shoving him towards the door. He knew the night shift would be coming to check on the ruckus, and he didn't want to be around when they did.

They ran back out to the place they had met. The reporter shaking violently, his shirt and pants covered in blood from the floor and from his own hand as it ran down his arm. Taking pity on the sorry twat, Conner shoved a rag from his pocket into his face. "Here wrap this round it and get the hell out of here. You never talked to me, got it?"

His face pale and green eyes wide, Barry nodded. He took the rag and wrapped it round his hand tightly, wincing. He had his pictures, that was what mattered.

Conner took off towards the thick bank of trees that separated the jail from the road. He knew it well enough that he could find his way through the dark. As he ran he took a swig of his whiskey, and then poured some over the wound on his arm. It burned like bloody acid, but it would kill any kind of infection he may have got from that thing in the cell.

Barry went the opposite direction. He'd left his car on a dirt road a mile away from the jail. He flicked on the small flashlight he had in his pocket to find his way, the light careening wildly as he juggled it and the camera with his good hand. He smiled against the pain. It would be worth it in the end. Hello corner office, hello six figure salary. He'd be famous for this.


	3. Chapter 3 Coffee, Tea, or Zombie?

**Return of the Disclaimer: Ah yes, NO I DO NOT OWN SHAUN OF THE DEAD!!! ARGH!! Anyway...I'm better now. So this chapter slips back into ROMCOM territory along with ZOM thrown into the mix. I kept this fairly clean boys and girls, so let me know if you prefer smutty or not in case our hapless couple gets a chance to have some fun later. I doubt it, but let me know. I like to appeal to everyone's tastes. **

**I'm a firm believer that good characters need to suffer. Kinda like Sam Raimi's philosophy that the innocent must suffer. Shaun is a very good character. And Simon plays angst so well in the movie it makes me hurt. So Shaun must cry a bit...because he's a damn good crier with those big pretty eyes of his. Then I can kiss it and make it better...but that's a totally different kind of fic J**

Shaun opened the front gate to the flat and gestured her inside. She liked the little yard, it was homey.

He was nervous. God, did he leave anything lying around on the couch? Clothes? Food? For the life of him he couldn't remember what the inside had looked like when he left that afternoon.

With a tiny prayer he unlocked the front door and switched on the light. Thank heaven...it looked neat.

Emily looked around at the numerous posters from different bands and concerts that adorned the walls. There was a large TV with a Playstation hooked up to it and a comfy looking couch. On the coffee table were some newer issues of X-men and Judge Dredd.

Shaun took off his coat, tossing it over the stairs banister and dropped his back pack on the floor. "Take your jacket?" He asked her.

"Oh yeah, here you go." She shrugged it off and placed her bag next to his. "This is a nice place." She walked further into the living room and he followed her.

"Yeah, I actually bought it a while back. You get used to something I guess you hold on." His voice took on that tone she was starting to recognize. It meant memories were getting to him.

She turned around and gave him a smile. "So where's this legendary record collection at?"

That brought him back. He gave her a grin and pointed towards a large chest of drawers that took up a good chunk of a wall. On top of it sat a nice turntable and speakers. Shaun moved to stand in front of it, hand on the top right drawer. "Shield your eyes from the beauty." He said and then pulled it open.

Inside she saw just one section of the alphabet, records in alphabetical order by artist and then by year. "Holy shit..." she said softly.

"Yeah...impressive huh?" He was obviously cocky about this.

In this section alone were the original printings of Kiss's solo albums, in mint condition. Pink Floyd first editions, all in perfect shape. It was awe inspiring. "I'd say..." She started to flip through them, her eyes going large at the sight in front of her.

Shaun couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face. "Well then, I'll leave you to ogle while I go make the tea."

"Sure...yeah." She'd found the Sex Pistols and was in worship mode.

With a bit of swagger to his step Shaun went into the kitchen and started the kettle. He pulled the good cups from the cupboard and placed the spoons, sugar, honey, and cream on a tray. He placed the tea in the cups just as the kettle started to whistle. He poured the steaming water in, double checked everything was there, and brought it into the room as the first sounds of Etta James came from his speakers.

He looked up and saw Emily with a guilty look on her face. "I couldn't help it...I was really really careful...I just love her."

Shaun smiled, putting the tray down on the coffee table. "Don't worry; I was going to ask if you wanted to listen to anything. Good choice. Come and have some tea."

She walked over and sat beside him on the couch as the smooth voice surrounded them. Emily took two sugars and popped them in the delicate mug. Shaun took a sip of his and let the chamomile do its work.

He glanced over at his guest and saw that she had her eyes closed and was swaying slightly in time to the bluesy jazz, her hand wrapped around her mug of tea. Her eyes opened after a moment and she blushed, quite prettily. "Sorry, zoning out there. It's been a long day."

"It's alright, I know what you mean." He took another drink of tea and sat the mug on the table. "It must be close to four in the morning...I probably should be beaten for asking you to come over so late but I was having a great time...didn't really want it to e..."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because she had grasped his shirt in her hands and had pulled him on top of her, smothering any words with her mouth.

So maybe she wasn't sore with him inviting her over so late. And maybe there were side effects to chamomile that he didn't know about...because he was suddenly very much awake.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains some time later. It illuminated the clothing that now in fact did cover spots on the couch and floor. The throw that had been on the back of the couch was wrapped around Shaun and Emily, who were sleeping a well earned rest on the cushions. Emily was facing the couch and Shaun was spooned up against her, his arm holding her to him.

His sleep was dreamless and restful for a while and then the nightmare slipped in like a silent viper ready to strike.

He was running...he had that damn cricket bat again. His white shirt was splattered with the blood of god knew how many zombies. He was yelling her name...desperate to find her. He was inside the club, Drama! Zombies came at him and he batted them aside, one after another...And then he found her. She stumbled from the shadows but before he could reach her, the weasel with the leather jacket was upon her, his face now pale and blue veined, his eyes dead. He sank his teeth into her neck and Shawn cried out for him to stop. The fiend looked up at the sound and hissed at him, his lips dripping with Emily's blood, he let her drop to the ground.

Shaun slammed the bat upside the things skull hard enough that the head flew off into the darkness. The body dropped backwards, the neck squirting black gore high into the air, the hands scrambling trying to find its own head for a few horrific moments before they fell lifeless at its sides.

Shaun dropped the cricket bat and ran to Emily'. She was so pale...so pale..." God no...not again...please no." He cried out, knowing there was no chance. None...He picked her up and held her against his chest, powerless.

"Shaun..." Her voice was weak already...the blood gushing from her wounded throat across his shirt. Her fingers touched his cheek, cold and trembling against his skin. "If you love me....kill me."

"No...no I can't...please don't make me..." He begged, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Shaun I love you....let me die..." She started to shake and convulse against him. He held her tighter trying to stop it, knowing it was something he couldn't fight.

"Please...don't." He whispered against her ear. When her head fell back, he felt the last breath brush against his cheek and he knew she was gone.

He laid her down gently on the floor, his eyes taking in the sight of her white skin, stained crimson. Her eyes closed, her lips the color of ivory. He saw that beside her lay the Winchester, and he knew the gun would be loaded. Shaun felt the fury, the pain well up within him and he reared back, his soul crying out "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!" And then her lifeless eyes opened.

Shaun jerked awake, his eyes wide, lips parted in a silent scream. The movement stirred Emily slightly, and she burrowed up closer to him with a slight sigh.

He looked around him, lifting himself up on an elbow, eyes darting around the room. He remembered to breathe, and his heart rate slowed down. "Just a dream..." he said aloud. He looked down at the sleeping girl beside him, his fingers running down her arm. She was warm and she was alive. Shaun leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder, and put his arm around her again. He laid his head back down next to hers and simply held her. He wouldn't be going to sleep any time soon.


	4. Chapter 4 Realization and Bacon

**Attack of the Disclaimer: No, I don't own it. Yes I would like to. Yes I do want him, but no I don't have him. Yes I am sad. **

**No zombies in this part, just a fluffy piece o stuff. Fluff is good sometimes. Fluffy Simon...here boy! Come to mommy! Woof! Oh sorry... Fluff and a plot point!!! WHOOHOO**

Later that morning Emily woke to the scents of toast, bacon, and eggs. Her head hurt a bit, a side effect of the lager no doubt.

She was lying on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and cozy warm. Flashes of the night before came back to her, and she wondered if she'd really be able to face Shaun since she'd practically attacked him. She didn't know what had come over her, maybe it was the jazz, maybe it was the kiss on the dance floor, the chamomile tea, or maybe she was just a horny chick. Either way, it had been great...she couldn't argue that.

Stretching her legs under the throw she thought seriously about what she was doing. She was on vacation, she didn't live here, she had only known this guy less than 24 hours and she'd spent the night with him. That was something that she'd never done her entire life.

It wasn't rebounding, she knew better than that, at least on her end. She really liked this guy, really really liked him. Before she put more thought into it, she needed to find out what he was feeling this morning after, such as it was.

With a stifled groan, she opened her eyes to the sunlight filtering through the blanket that was over her head. She could hear humming coming from where she knew the kitchen was along with the clink of silverware and plates. The smells of food were making her hungry. She peeked her head out from under the throw and looked around.

Shaun picked that moment to come around the corner, to see if she was even moving yet. She'd been pretty knackered and he blamed himself a bit for that. When he met her eyes, he saw that flash of color hit her cheeks and she pulled the blanket back up over half her face. Her hand appeared over the edge of the throw and gave him a wave. "Hi." She said in a small voice.

It was so damn adorable he couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. "Hey there," He pointed towards the kitchen. "Uhm, I made breakfast."

"It smells great." The little voice came again. "Do you...have a place I could get...you know...dressed?"

Dumbass! He thought to himself, mentally slapping his head. "Oh yeah, sure...right through there." He pointed towards the bathroom down the hall. "2nd door on the right."

Shaun zipped back into the kitchen and Emily wrapped the throw around herself and started picking up her clothes. Good lord...they were everywhere! It took about a minute but she managed to find all of them and headed off to the bathroom.

In the kitchen Shaun had the last of the toast finished and placed it on the table beside the jam. He was nervous, truthfully, very nervous. The images from the nightmare were fresh in his mind. The fact that it had seemed so real, and what was said between them was still in his head. The fact that it had felt like someone had torn out his soul and shredded it into little pieces as he'd watched her die.

He'd known her for about a day and yet...he really really liked this girl. He knew she was only on a holiday, but at the same time he thought there was something between them. He didn't want to have her walk out the door and never come back, somewhere deep in the back of his mind Shaun knew that he needed to get this girl in his life somehow. He needed her. But how to do that without bollixing it up was the problem.

"Wow...this looks great." Her voice came from behind him. He nearly leapt up onto the ceiling.

Her turned around, "Thank you. I don't know about you but I was starving." He pulled out a chair for her. "Have a seat."

She gave him a nervous grin. "Chivalry is not dead I see." She sat down and he took the seat opposite.

Shaun poured her a cup of tea. "So, uhm...what are your plans for the day then?" He asked her, putting down the pot and picking up his fork.

Emily picked up two sugar cubes and dropped them in her cup. "I'm not really sure; Deb has to go to work this afternoon, so I'm sure she's sleeping until the last minute."

"But it's Sunday?" He gave her a perplexed look as he took a bite of scrambled egg.

"She works as an assistant for the Nightly Reader, have you heard of it?" She took a bite of bacon and nearly wet herself it was so good.

Shaun rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah...they are a grade A rubbish rag. You should have seen the pictures they published back after the attack."

Emily looked surprised. "I've never seen it, but Deb says it's a great gig and that they are really popular."

He made a sound of disgust and bit into his toast. "They are really popular. That's the sad part."

She took a drink of her tea, deciding this was a sore subject. "Well, she's got to go in because one of the reporters she supports has some special exclusive that he's wanting her to help him with to make the Monday edition."

"Ah," He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. Here was an opportunity. "So, you don't really have anything on the calendar yet?"

"Nope, free and easy...that's me." Her eyes widened after she said it and she took a bite of her bacon.

Shaun coughed to cover the laugh that was fighting its way out of him. She was blushing again. It was probably a good thing that she hadn't met Ed before the whole mess; he'd have had a field day with her.

"Well, if that's the case, would you fancy a day out? I could show you some of the sights and maybe we could catch a matinee over at the Movie Dungeon?" He prayed he didn't look desperate and needy.

Inside she was dancing a jig. He didn't want to toss her out! Yay! "That sounds great. But I need to stop back by Deb's and freshen up a bit."

Shaun did a mental back flip. Yay! She wasn't dumping him! "Do you want me to come by and pick you up at around twelve?"

She checked her watch, 9:30am. "That's perfect. But I pay for the movie tickets."

He smiled at her. "Independent woman, it's a deal."

They finished up breakfast and Emily helped clean up. It felt right to Shaun that she was there. They laughed and talked while doing the dishes, falling into a routine of her washing and him drying and putting away. It was so blissfully normal.

After they were done, Shaun walked her to the door. She told him Deb's address while she shrugged into her jacket and then picked up her back pack and stepped outside. They stood in the doorway and suddenly it was a bit awkward.

"Well...I'll see you in a bit then." Shaun said, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Alrighty." Emily looked down, shook her head yes and turned to walk down the path to the street.

Shaun watched her for a moment. Then he turned to close the door when he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked up just in time for her to kiss him so gently he turned to jelly right there in the doorway. She pulled away and he had a dazed look on his face. "Score!" she thought to herself. "Sorry, forgot to do that." She said and smiling headed back down to the sidewalk.

He stood there watching her go, until she turned the corner and was out of sight. Shaun sighed and closed the door, leaning his head against the cool glass pane in its center. "Bloody hell..." he muttered aloud. He was in love.


	5. Chapter 5 Comics, Campbell, and Contempt

**Flight of the Disclaimer: Whee I own nothing! Except for my undying devotion to both Simon Pegg and Bruce Campbell...one tall and dark haired, one not as tall and blonde, but both bad ass's when it comes to fighting the evil hungry re-animated hordes of the dead! Yay! Thank you to those who have reviewed so far. This is kind of a short chapter, but it was fun to write. I promise the next one will be more violent and darker. Bad things will start to happen soon. Aren't you glad?**

Emily was on cloud nine as she walked up the two flights of stairs to Deb's apartment. It was amazing...she hadn't thought guys like Shaun existed anymore. Of course there was still that nagging doubt in the back of her mind that he could turn out like David. But she squashed those thoughts as quickly as they started. No, she'd enjoy this for as long as it lasted.

She grabbed the key from under the tattered welcome mat and unlocked the door as quietly as she could. The small apartment was quiet except for the hum from the heating that had clicked on. Deb's bedroom door was cracked open, and she could see a stockinged leg hanging off the side of the mattress and the sound of deep snoring. Yep, she'd be out until probably five minutes before she had to leave.

Emily went to the couch, also known as her bed. She rummaged through her suitcase and found a pair of black jeans and a blue flame button up shirt. Grabbing the bag that held her make up and toiletries she headed off to the bathroom.

It was a little over an hour later she emerged dressed and ready to go. Emily looked at her watch and saw that she was right on time. She grabbed her bag and checked to make sure she was presentable in the mirror next to the door. Make-up looked good, with a dark purple color on her lips and over her eyes, making the blue stand out. She was always pale, there was no helping that. Her short red hair was brushed back and curled softly around her face. She was wearing her Jack Skellington earrings and her Jack Skellington wrist band. Have to represent for Burton, she thought to herself.

"Well, this is as good as it gets." She sighed. She placed a note telling Deb where she was going on the coffee table and walked out of the apartment, silently shutting the door.

She took a seat on the concrete steps that led to the apartment complex's entrance and enjoyed the overcast weather. The air was cool and there was the slightest breeze along the sidewalk.

Emily heard someone humming the theme to Doctor Who and looked up to find Shaun walking toward her. When he saw her he smiled and hurried over. "Hey there, you been waiting long?" He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"No not long at all." She brushed any dust off her pants and grinned at him. "So what's the plan then fearless leader?"

"Well...for a start I thought we'd hit The Bin, this really groovy comic shop down a ways. Then pop over to The Shepherd's for a bite of Thai and a pint, then Vinyl Island for some record browsing, and finish up at the Movie Dungeon for a matinee of Hawk the Slayer." Shaun took a breath and gave her a hopeful grin. "Sound good?"

Emily gazed at him for a moment in absolute awe. "Hawk the Slayer on the big screen?? Are you serious?!"

Shaun narrowed his eyes. This could be a problem. "You don't like Hawk the Slayer?"

She gave him a look of mock horror. "Are you mad? John Terry of the wooden face, Jack Palance doing his best imitation of Khan, crossbows that fire like machine guns?? Hawk the Slayer kicks ass!"

"But for the simple fact we are on a public street, I'd be ripping your clothes off right now and having my way with you. You do realize that?" He said putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her towards their first destination.

"That was last night dear..." She said laughing and leaning against him. "But shall I tell you my thoughts on Legend and The Sword and the Sorcerer? Or all the naughty fantasies I used to have about Tim Curry?"

"Cheeky monkey." He grinned kissing the top of her head.

As the happy couple went off for their day of fun, Deb was awoken by the evil, demented sound that only her clock radio could make. It reminded her of the bastard offspring of a fog horn and a bombing raid siren. Groping half blind she hit the button to turn it off and slowly sat up.

"I feel like death warmed over." She said aloud, her voice rough from far too many cigarettes the night before and way too much booze. Tom had left her hours ago, and she wondered for a brief moment if was even able to make it back to his place and wasn't lying on the street somewhere.

With a loud groan she staggered to the bathroom. As she passed the coffee table she saw the note written in big red letters from Emily. She read it quickly, tossing it back down and shaking her head. "Her funeral." She muttered, turning on the shower.

Deb hurriedly dressed and was off to the office, pulling on her shoe on the stoop. She was late of course, and now she'd had to call a cab to get here there. At least they'd foot the bill for it. She'd make sure Lon got the receipt on his damn desk. It was bad enough the cocky little bastard was making her come in to help get this damn story finished.

The way he was going on about it, it would be big. Maybe he'd take her along if it got him the recognition he was saying it would. She had no idea what the story was though, since he kept it hush hush and need to know.

Her curiosity was getting the better of her as she rode in the back of the black cab. When she got to the office she failed to tip the guy, for which she was flipped a middle finger as she took off, grabbing the receipt from his hand and running up the steps to the double doors.

On the ride up the elevator she checked her make-up in the mirrored wall. Lon wasn't harsh on the eyes by any means. And he'd made it clear more than once he'd like to get to know her better. But he wouldn't get anywhere with her until there was some substantial growth in either her title or salary. As Deb was fixing a strand of hair the doors opened.

She wasn't used to coming in on the weekends and the silence of the empty offices was a tad ominous. The lights weren't on either, so the only illumination came from the sunlight filtering in through the blinds. "Fucking creepy." She muttered to herself.

Deb shook off the feeling and headed towards Lon's office. It was tucked in between two others on the far side of the floor. He shared it with another reporter who was out most of the time. Deb supported both of them and one other journalist. "Hey Lon, what's with the lights?" She called out as she flipped the switch to the lights in his office. She saw his head over the top of his chair, and knew he was in there sitting in the dark.

The chair quickly turned towards her and the reporter placed an arm over his eyes. "Turn it off!!!" He cried out in a raspy voice.

Deb complied and looked at him with raised brows. "What's up with you? Hard night last night or something?" She asked him placing her purse down next to the door.

When he lifted his arm away from his face she saw his skin was waxy pale, and he was covered in sweat. "Jesus Lon, you need a doctor."

She hurried over to him, looking closely at him but not touching him. He shook his head and motioned for her to get away. "I'm... (cough) fine. Go and get the prints out of the developing room for me so we can go over them. They should be dry by now."

Deb went to the door of the office then turned around, "You sure you don't want juice or something? Vitamin C might do you some good?"

Lon coughed, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at his forehead. "I'll be fine...it's the flu. Just go and get the damned pictures."

"Alright Mr. Personality!" She said and flipped him the bird when she was out of sight. "Fuck brain."

Meanwhile Shaun and Emily were having quite an enjoyable afternoon. They had made it to The Bin and he was busy showing her the wonder that was Johnny Alpha and 2000AD. She had to admit it was some good stuff. While he was rifling through back issues, she moved along to a display near one of the windows. She stopped walking and just stared at it.

Shaun hadn't heard her for a minute or saw her, and noticing she'd disappeared looked around. He found her and came to stand beside her, noticing her gaze was now vacant. He shook his hand in front of her. "Hello! Anyone there?"

"Gah?" was the reply.

He turned to see what had her so glued and came face to face with a life size Bruce Campbell cut out touting the new Evil Dead comic line. "Oh come on! The guy has never really faced down a horde of the undead in his life." He said his face etched in disbelief.

"Gah?" was the reply.

"He'd probably piss himself if he had to take on a zombie." Shaun's voice dripped with a pouty contempt. He looked back over to Emily and saw she hadn't really moved yet.

Brian, the owner came over to them. "Something I can get you there Shaun?"

With a heavy sigh, Shaun pointed to the display. "Yeah, better give me one of those before she takes root."

The older man nodded and pulled down an issue, handing it over to him. Shaun then handed it to Emily who broke free of her trance as the plastic covered comic touched her palm. "Tee hee." She said with a maniacal grin.

"You got a bit of drool there, love." Shaun pointed out grumpily.


	6. Chapter 6 The Good and the Bad

**Dubba dubba dubba duh...Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Still don't have Simon either, but oh the ways I could make him happy. But that's another fic. **

**I dedicate this new chapter to my buddy MizSlick who joined me in the rapture that was conversing with Simon online and was as geek as me when it came to printing the board pages to look at later and remember our joy. PeggLegg's united!!! **

It was during the walk to the developing room and the time it took to open the door that Lon Barry started to shake as if in a seizure. It was like ice and fire were at war in his veins, each trying to grasp hold of every nerve, latching onto his heart with iron fingers. He tried to cry out to Deb, but his throat constricted as if he were being strangled. His vision was starting to go fuzzy...he couldn't breathe. He felt the darkness closing in on him, a shadow creeping through his conscious brain. His last thought as he fell behind his desk was he'd never get that corner office.

When Deb got the photos in her hand to look at them she dropped them on the ground with a shriek. "Oh my God..what is this??" She breathed and picking them up again. Images of the walking dead, in what looked like prison cells filled the 8x10 glossies. She flipped through them, her eyes widening with each one. Their eyes...God almighty. She'd never seen one up close before, and these were in your face pictures. Where the hell had he gotten these?? Where were all these things?

It looked like there were three or four in a cell, packed in tightly. In one picture she saw a vaguely familiar figure in the background, it was watching TV. "Jesus Lon, where did you go last night?" Deb walked down the hallway back to the office. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was disturbing, she'd had no idea places like this were in existence. It was...ghoulish.

Deb realized that she, and quite a few others, were being kept in the dark about what was going down with the zombies...she also realized Lon had a gold mine in just the photos alone. Oh yes, this was the big one. She had a bit more respect for him now. Deb smiled as she stopped outside the door to his office. He may be a prick, but he knew what grabbed people.

She opened the door and looked around the gloom filled room. She didn't see him. "Lon?" She called out. Where the hell did he go? He didn't look like he could make it too far without a wheelchair when she left him. Deb stepped into the room and placed the photos on the desk. She then noticed the loafer sticking out from under the chair.

"Lon?!" She moved around to stand beside the computer chair and found him laying there motionless. "Holy shit...Lon wake up." Deb got down beside him and started shaking him. He was cold to the touch, and he didn't look like he was breathing. She placed her fingers against his neck...there was nothing...wait; there was just the slightest bump against her fingers.

"Ambulance." She said to herself and moved to grab the phone.

While she leaning over to call the number, Lon's eyes fluttered open slowly. The milky white orbs looked around and saw the warm bare leg in front of him. The scent of live meat filled his nostrils, hot and rich...and close. With a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl he grasped her calf in his freezing hands and sank his teeth into the muscle.

Deb screamed, dropping the phone and looking down to see Lon had woke up and was trying to chew through her leg. She kicked him hard, causing a bloody piece of flesh to tear away from her calf but knocking him away. "What the hell are you doing!!?" She limped away quickly. "You fucking lunatic...god...screw this! You'll be hearing from a lawyer you piece of shit! I quit!"

Deb didn't look back; she grabbed her bag and slammed the door shut on the pale figure trying to stand up, blood dripping from its chin.

She got in the elevator and slammed the button, while trying to figure out a way to wrap up her leg. "Damn...what a perv!" She said aloud, pulling out a thin scarf from the bottom of her purse and tying it around the bite. "Ow..." She didn't know what pissed her off more, the fact that today she'd have to fork out for a cab twice or the pain.

As Deb limped into a cab, across town Shaun and Emily were in the middle of Hawk the Slayer and having a blast. They were, surprisingly, the only people in the theater. And thanks to the overabundance of beer the two had drunk, the action of talking to the screen became a necessity. "This music is the total shit!" Emily started boogying down in her chair as Shaun did his all around best dance moves as well as his inebriated state would allow. "Gotta love that beat..." He replied as Hawk and the one armed guy went through the badly decorated set that was supposed to be a haunted forest.

"Wait wait!" Emily grabbed his arm, causing him to lose his rhythm.

"Hey!" He pouted.

"Noooo....look there's that weird muppet thing!" She pointed to the screen. And sure enough there was a fake spider of some kind that looked like a really awful muppet, briefly on the screen.

Shaun couldn't help it...he started laughing so hard his sides hurt.

"Now it gets rough! Hit it Hawkwind!" Emily snapped her fingers and the music did in fact get faster and rougher...if that was the right word. At this Shaun actually fell out of his chair.

When the movie was over they both were sore from the laughter and falling over that trying to recreate the fight scenes had caused. The ticket guy watched them with wide eyes as they walked out of the theater. Debating on whether letting them ever back in again.

It was now close to six o'clock. Emily knew she should be getting back to Deb's. She felt bad that she was staying at her place for free but actually hadn't spent much time with her for the past two days.

Shaun walked her back to the apartment, the night air helping clear their heads. "I have a new appreciation for Jack Palance's comedic skill." He commented.

"Yeah, and just think this was before City Slickers." She replied, "Or Cops and Robbersons."

He shuddered. "Please never mention that last one again."

"Sorry..." She squeezed his hand. "There have been no other Chevy Chase films since Fletch."

"That's right, and never forget it." He replied.

The two of them stopped in front of the concrete stoop of Deb's building. She turned to face him, keeping hold of his hand. "Well, this is it." She gave him a smile, "I had a really great time and you know, bonus Bruce Campbell stuff."

Shaun rolled his eyes at that, and then smiled. "Yeah well...taking on the undead does have its sex appeal I suppose."

"Amen." She said and with a gleam in her eye wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss that made his knees nearly give out.

When she pulled away he kept hold of her, touching his forehead to hers. "You have to stop doing that." He said softly.

"Why?" She asked, wondering if she was being too affectionate. That was one of the things David would complain about, that she was "too touchy feely in public."

He felt a pinch in his heart as he said the words. "Because I'm not going to be able to let you leave."

Emily stilled for a moment, and then moved her head to his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "You had to bring that up." She said, her voice muffled against his shirt.

Shaun closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck. "Sorry, just not looking forward to it." His voice was very soft and she felt as if someone had just punched her in the stomach.

She'd not let herself think about the fact she'd be leaving in less than a week, either unconsciously or not she didn't know, but she'd blocked it. Right this second though, Emily had the urge to tear up the return ticket and say screw it to her job and stay where she was. Only knowing him two days and Shaun had somehow super glued her heart back together and made her laugh and enjoy herself more than she ever had with David. It was fast and it was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time it was right.

Em pulled away and looked up at him with eyes that were close to tears. She wouldn't cry, not yet. "We vow right here not to talk about any of that crap for the next few days okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Alright, no depressing talk."

"Good boy." She glanced up and saw that the light was on in Deb's bedroom and that she could see her shadow moving around. "I need to go, Deb's back."

Shaun looked up, following her gaze. "Alright then, oh here..." He fiddled around in his pockets till he came up with a piece of paper. "You have a pen?"

She nodded and rummaged in her back pack and handed it to him. He quickly scribbled something down and handed it to her. "There's my mobile number...call me tomorrow and let me know when you are free for eating."

Emily looked up at that. "What??"

"Dinner! Eating dinner..." He actually turned two shades of red. "You are a dirty little thing aren't you?"

She laughed. "I'm innocent as snow...you're the one blushing."

"I shall take the tattered remains of my purity and bid you good night." He said with fake haughtiness. Shaun gave her another brief kiss and watched as she went inside, turning to give him a quick wave and then shutting the door behind her.

Sighing, he glanced up at the window and saw Deb staring out at him and standing very still. Biting his lip he lifted his hand slightly in greeting and started walking home, a feeling of unease creeping along his spine. The night suddenly felt much much colder.


	7. Chapter 7 And so it begins

**White lines, running through my mind....OH Sorry...This would be the Disclaimer (damn catchy soundtrack): No I do not own Shaun and Company. Nor do I have Simon Pegg (apparently some lucky chick in England has that pleasure...WAH!!!!!SOB!!!CRY!!!) I'm better now...really. This one is dedicated to my fellow PeggLeggs who share the love for Simon along with those who also love Nick and Edgar. Only another Fangirl can know how it is gals :-) (hugs to all)**

Emily walked up the stairs caught between feeling wonderful and the knowing that her life was going to change in a big way, one way or the other. There was a certainty to it that she could feel hovering above her like some specter.

What Shaun had said brought it all home. It was a turning point in her life she was going to be up against. Emily hated big decisions...hated having to deal with the crap that David had made her have to go though, what he'd done to her. It all was connected back to him. But the thing was, if none of that had happened, she wouldn't be here and she wouldn't have met Shaun.

With a heavy sigh she unlocked the door and entered the apartment. She'd deal with this stuff tomorrow. Tonight she'd sleep on it.

"Deb!" She called out, placing the key on the coffee table. "Deb I'm back."

"In here..." came a voice from the bedroom.

Em tossed her bag down on the couch and headed into her friends room. She found Deb pouring what looked like antiseptic or something on a nasty wound on her leg.

"Christ...what happened to you?" Emily said, walking over to where Deb was sitting on the bed.

"You wouldn't fucking believe me." She replied, and winced as the burning got worse. "Let's just say I quit my job today, and tomorrow I'm looking for a lawyer."

"What the hell happened?" Emily went into the bathroom and started looking for bandages.

Deb decided she'd napalmed her leg enough and tossed the tissue she'd been using to dab the medicine on it into the wastebasket. She sat back on the bed and grabbed a smoke from her pack on the nightstand. "So I get there, and Lon is looking like he's got some fucking Ebola or some shit." She lit the fag and took a deep inhale.

Em came out of the bathroom holding bandages and motioned for her to put her leg up.

"Thanks love. Anyway...so he's real cranky and being more of a prick than usual. Tells me to go get these pictures he took for the story. So I go and get them. Those were a trip by themselves mind you." She took another drag from her smoke.

"What were they of? You said you didn't know what the story was about." She started wrapping the nasty looking bite, which looked nearly black around the edges, carefully.

"Fucking zombies...that's what they were. The re-animates like they have at the club every so often. You saw them the other night...or maybe you were too enthralled by Shaun's manly physique." She laughed and then coughed lightly.

"Hey, don't talk about Shaun. He's a good guy...he's a real good guy." Em gave her a glare and Deb decided to hold off since she was doing first aide on her and all.

"Anyway...they were pictures of these things in cells. They were loads of them. I don't know how many. They were like packed in and being kept like animals or something. Real heavy shit man, stuff I don't think the public has any idea about. I doubt these things relatives would appreciate them being kept like this." She took another puff as Emily finished up her bandage.

"So what happened to your leg then?" She asked her taking the stuff back into the bathroom.

"Well I go back to give him his damn pictures and I find him hiding behind the desk. Looks like he's had some sort of attack or something, so I go over and check on him. He's playing possum apparently...because while I'm calling the ambulance he raises up and bites my fucking leg."

"He what??!!" Emily stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"He bites my fucking leg." Deb said again, crushing her cigarette out.

"What did you do?" She moved back to the bed and sat down, her eyes wide.

"I kicked him as hard as I could in the head, threw his damn pictures at him and told him I quit and that his perv ass could expect to hear from my lawyer, that's what I did." Deb grabbed another smoke.

"Holy shit...shouldn't you file a thing with the cops?" Emily had never heard of something so freaking bizarre.

"I want to talk to the lawyer before I do anything. I want to make sure I get that bastard good and proper." She lit another smoke. "So...I saw you and Shaun have become right close."

Emily actually blushed, not able to help it. "How would you know?" She asked cocking a brow.

"The whole street knows dear." Deb laughed and took another lungful of smoke.

"Ah, spying, now who's the perv?" Emily replied, smiling.

"I never said I wasn't pervy. I just was looking out the window and saw you two on top of one another." She pointed a red tipped nail at her. "I'm telling you now though, the guy has issues. I told you before about what happened and..."

Emily cut her off. "Deb, I told you not to say anything about him and I mean it." She gave her another hard stare.

Deb raised her eyebrows. Obviously she was into the nimnod, more so than Deb had thought at first. "Alright...alright...I'm just trying to look out for you."

"I appreciate the concern, but I think I'll be fine." Her voice still harsh on the edges, Emily took a calming breath and then gave her friend a smile. "Do you want anything to eat or something, since I doubt you want to walk around on that leg?"

Deb nodded. "Yeah actually...I am a might peckish."

Emily called for take-out and brought it in to Deb as soon as it arrived. "Here ya go, beef and broccoli and noodles." She handed it over to her, noticing that in the hour or so she had been away, Deb looked more peaked and her brow was sweaty. "You sure you're alright?"

Deb looked up from her white box of noodles and said around a mouthful. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks love."

Em brought her a beer and told her that she should probably call it a day and go to bed early, she looked like she was coming down with something. Deb didn't argue as she felt feverish. She hoped that little bastard hadn't given her some kind of flu with his grimy fucking teeth. Visions of the settlement she'd get out of that rag of a paper were dancing in her head as she dug into the Chinese food.

Emily shut the door to Deb's room and flopped down on the couch after popping in a DVD of Doctor Who, one of the Tom Baker ones and started in on her sweet and sour chicken. As The Doctor battled the Daleks and Davros she let her mind go blank and just enjoyed the wonder that was old school BBC Sci-Fi. As she figured would happen her thoughts turned to Shaun. She couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to have him next to her on the couch, just vegging out. And then what else they could be doing on the couch.

She shook her head and smiled at that. My word, she'd turned into a little lust bucket thanks to him. By the time she was halfway through the DVD she'd fallen asleep to the sounds of "Exterminate...exterminate!"

It was mid morning when she woke up to the sounds of people driving about outside to and from wherever they were going. Emily stretched out, her neck and shoulders popped loudly. She turned off the TV and cleaned up the mess of cartons on the table. She noticed that Deb's door was still shut.

After going to the bathroom and taking a quick shower, she dressed in her comfy jeans and her Bat symbol t-shirt and decided to go check on her.

As quietly as she could she opened the door and peered in. "Deb, hey are you awake?"

She saw her lying on the bed, not really moving. The cartons of food left on her nightstand. "Hey Deb?" She asked a little louder.

"Em...hey..." Her voice sounded like rusty chains. When Emily got closer she saw she was waxy pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"God, you look awful..." She couldn't help the exclamation.

Deb flipped her off in return. At least she could hear.

"Thanks and...a hardy fuck you too." Deb coughed, her body shaking hard.

"Hey, we need to get you to a doctor." Emily pulled the covers up around her.

"Uh...I'm going to kill that little cocksucker. He did this to me...gave me the freaking flu." Deb shivered and she pulled the blankets around her tighter.

"I'll get you a glass of water." Em left and came back quickly, handing her the glass. "Drink that."

She did as told, a bit dribbling down her chin. With a shaky hand, Deb put the glass on the table. "Thanks. I don't need a doctor, money for nothing. It's the flu is all." She coughed again, and let out a groan. "I'll rest and then I'm calling the lawyer." She closed her eyes and Emily shook her head.

"Stubborn broad." She muttered, and decided she couldn't leave her alone while she was like this. She'd have to call Shaun and tell him what was going on and that she wouldn't be able to go out, at least not today.

She closed the door and walked back into the living room. She found the phone and then pulled Shaun's number from her bag. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey Shaun, its Emily." She said, a smile coming to her lips at the sound of his voice.

Shaun perked up immediately. He was on his way out of the flat when the phone had rang, getting ready to go to a lunch meeting with a contact from one of the local clubs. Money from the comic and the game was running out, and he'd decided to see if he still had what it took to jockey a turntable. He'd missed it a lot, but he didn't know if he would be able to impress the guy, who was seven years younger than he was.

So he'd been dreading the thing, and now it was even worse. Emily's call was a very welcome distraction.

"Hey love, how's it going?" He searched around for his jacket, juggling the phone.

"Not so great for Deb Shaun, I don't think I'll be able to go out to dinner tonight." Her voice sounded worried, causing him to pause a moment.

"What's the matter?"

Emily ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "Something happened to her at the office, you won't believe it."

"Give me a try," he replied, eyes finding his jacket sticking up behind the couch.

"Well...it sounds like her boss kinda went loony tunes. When she was bringing him these really gross pictures for this big story, he...well I guess he attacked her and bit a hunk out of her leg."

Shaun was shrugging into his jacket when she said it. And when his brain realized exactly what she'd said the world seemed to funnel in around him. "He...he what?" His voice had gone up an octave and he couldn't breathe.

"He bit her, like some kind of lunatic pervert. You ought to see this thing too. It was like he was trying to eat her or something." She sat down on the couch. "So now she's running a fever and looks like hell. She said the guy was sick when she came in, so now he's probably gave her some kind of freaky flu bug. I don't even think she could get out of bed if she wanted to."

God almighty...he forced himself to breathe. "In and out Shaun, in and out" he told himself. "Maybe the guy was a pervert, maybe it is nothing. No need to freak the fuck out...right?" Wait a minute...

"You said gross pictures? What were they of?" Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong. He was leaning against the wall now; afraid if he didn't he'd collapse.

"Oh..." her voice got strangely quiet.

"Emily, what were the pictures of?" He asked again, as calmly as he could.

"Shaun I don't know if...well, they were of some of the...zombies. She said they were in cells or something, really gruesome, close up pictures." She didn't think he'd want to hear that, but he'd asked and she didn't want to lie to him.

"Oh god..." he said softly. The walls nearly spun and all he could think was she was there, alone, with Deb. The images from his dream came barreling back and he felt his blood go cold.

"Shaun, are you still there?"

Her voice jerked him back to reality. He had to get her out of there, now. "Emily, I want you to listen very carefully..."

"Okay," she said wondering what was going on.

"I want you to get out of the apartment right now. I want you to get yourself downstairs and wait for me alright?" He headed towards the hall closet, trying to remain as calm as he could so she didn't freak out...much in the same way he was.

"Shaun, I told you I can't leave her. She's sick as a dog. Why do you sound so funny?" Her brows knitted together, confused.

He found what he was looking for. He pulled out the pump action shotgun he'd bought a few days after Z-day. Yeah it wasn't too terribly legal, but he knew someone who knew someone. He grabbed the box of shells from the top shelf and shoved them in the pocket of his jacket. "There's nothing funny about it Em. Has she... (please God say no) has she bitten you?"

"What? Jesus Shaun no! Now tell me what's going on?" This was starting to freak her out. She stood up from the couch and started pacing.

He closed his eyes and mouthed "thank you" to whoever granted that one. "Listen to me Emily. Get downstairs and out of the apartment right now!" He tucked the gun underneath his jacket just in case any of the cops might be out today and ran down the sidewalk towards the apartment, the phone up to his ear.

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on Shaun. This is nuts."

Shaun let out a growl; he knew he looked like a lunatic running down the street. He knew he was probably showing off the shotgun as his jacket billowed around him. He nearly ran into half a dozen people as he did so.

Breathing hard he listened to his worse fear occur over the cell phone.

"What the hell was that?" Emily's voice suddenly sounded scared.

"What...what's going on?" Shaun panted into the phone.

"Something just fell over in Deb's room. She may have fallen out of the bed; I need to go check..."

He cut her off. "Like hell you do! Stay out of there and get downstairs." His legs were aching at this point.

"Shaun....Jesus just tell me what's..." And then he heard it...the same time she did.

It was a moan, a low, mournful, lengthy sound. It seeped through the crack under the door and nearly echoed around the apartment. It caused the hair to stand up on Emily's neck and a chill to go down her spine.

"God...Shaun did you hear that...what was that?" She breathed into the phone, her voice barely a whisper.

"Emily get the hell out of there now!" He could see the front of the building in the distance, his lungs burning. People were staring at him like he was crazy. He was used to that at this point and really didn't give a shit anymore.

"Fine..." She said, and grabbed her bag. She hung up the phone as the thumping started on the bedroom door. The moaning came again, mixed with a sort of snarling. Her blue eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the keys and shut the front door of the apartment with a slam and locked it.

Emily nearly tripped going down the stairs, but she made it out the entrance and then succeeded in nearly slamming into Shaun. Both of them yelped and then Shaun grabbed her in a fierce one armed hug. "Bloody hell, listen to me when I tell you to do something." He managed to say between gulps of air.

She pulled away from him. "Shaun, what the hell is going on?? What's...what is up with Deb?" Her eyes were wide and searching, and Shaun didn't want to tell her what he knew would be the truth. If there was any doubt before that damned moan had destroyed it.

"I have to go up to the apartment Em, did you lock it?" He asked her.

"Yeah, yeah, but what is going on...just tell me." She grabbed him by the arm and held on.

Shaun took another breath and readied himself for both explaining what he'd have to do, and then actually doing it. He didn't really trust the cops...not after what had happened with Ed...Not with the things he'd heard were possibly going on.

That's when the scream erupted from the top of the building, out of one of the neighbor's windows on the same floor as Deb's apartment.

"Holy shit..." Emily jumped and so did Shaun at the sound.

"I have to go in there, stay down here. If I'm not back in five minutes use this to call emergency, okay?" He handed her his cell phone and then pulled the shotgun out from beneath his jacket. He started loading the shells in and she just gaped at him. "And for Christ sake, do NOT come in after me, understood?"

She avoided answering him, "What are you going to do with that?" She asked and then the realization hit her like a ton of rocks. "Fuck me...she's a zom..."

"That's right." He said turning towards her, his voice low. His eyes were suddenly much darker, and his face set like stone. He looked just like he had when he'd decked the creep at the club, only more so. This was that same change she'd seen happen to him that night. Any other time it would be a total turn on, but right now it scared her. Because Shaun knew what was in that building, he'd lived through it before. And she could still see fear in his eyes next to that cold determination.


	8. Chapter 8 Handy tools and hungry ghouls

**The Dreaded Disclaimer of Death: I tried to make that melodramatic, did it work?? No I don't own Shaun of the Dead, how many times do I have to say that??!! FRACK! Anyway...NCTibby, this ones for you! Just cause your cool and you can draw a mean Simpson. May the mighty Golden Goatee of Power shine down on you! Action, drama, strife, and angst! Welcome to Thunderdome! (oops, wrong movie) Oh, and I almost forgot. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are two of the coolest men alive. We must clone them so every girl can have a set. **

"Shaun..." Emily said, her voice quiet. "You're going to kill her..."

His expression softened, "Love, she's already dead." He moved towards her, shifting the gun into his other hand he held out his left palm. "Give me the key Emily."

She hesitated...even though she knew he was right. Deb was her friend, one of the few she actually had left. "I...I can't..."

He took another step toward her. "Em, she's gonna kill people...she's up there right now, if she bites someone they are dead too. Give me the key."

"What if she's like Ed? What about that Shaun..." She moved away from him.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Ed was different...I had time with him, he was...able to be reformed. But the fact is she's up there right now loose. She's going to kill people. If I had to do it, I'd have been able to shoot Ed. For God's sake I shot my own mother to keep her from killing a twat bastard that hated me! Give me the key!" He was shouting now and he regretted it the minute he saw the tears falling down her cheeks. But time was wasting and she was up there and he could hear more cries, softer now, which worried him more than the outright scream.

She handed him the keys that opened the front door of the building, a sob escaping her throat. Shaun closed his fingers around them. He would have said something to her but she turned away. He could hear her trying to choke down the crying, and his heart ached for her. He took a breath and turned to face the door. "Alright then Riley, let's do this." He thought. Steeling himself for the worst he put the key in the lock and opened the door, then raising the gun stepped inside.

Emily felt as though she'd been thrown into a nightmare. She couldn't believe that the new man in her life was going into the apartment of her friend to shoot her in the head because she'd just become an undead flesh eating monster. How did you deal with that? It was crazy...it was surreal. But it was happening.

She knew Shaun was telling her the truth, she needed to be stopped. Good lord, she could have been killed herself. Now he was going in there alone to take her down. Emily turned and stared at the now closed door, the keys dangling from the deadbolt. She couldn't let him do this by himself...even if he had told her not to she hadn't told him she would stay outside.

Looking around, she searched for something to use as a weapon. "Blunt object, blunt object..." she muttered, and then spied a fallen piece of black iron that had rusted out of the fencing that ran along the grass in front of the building. It was about three feet long and an inch thick. She walked over and picked it up, hefting it in her hand. It would have to do. She walked up the steps and opened the door quietly, her eyes peeled. She shoved Shaun's cell phone in her pocket and walked into the hallway.

Shaun was no where to be seen. He'd most likely gone up the stairs to Deb's floor. Em listened for the sounds of a struggle, but all she could hear was a slight sobbing noise coming from the upper floor.

She started up the steps slowly, trying to not make a sound. The lack of decent lighting had never bothered her before, but now she wished there was more than the single light every five feet on the ceiling.

Em saw the door before anything else. It lay at an odd angle, against the wall, ripped from its hinges. It was the door to Deb's apartment and when she realized that, she felt her heart actually skip a beat.

Sweat beaded on her upper lip and she tightened her grip on the bar till her knuckles were white. She listened and heard the sound of sobbing. It was nearer than before. Taking a deep breath she moved forward, down the hallway.

Rounding the corner, she saw Shaun standing in front of another doorway that had seen better days, shotgun aimed in front of him. The sound of the sobbing was coming from the apartment he was looking into.

Shaun's eyes took in the scene in front of him. Lying on the floor, beneath a cheerful window display of flowers, was the body of a man dressed in a pair of khaki pants and an undershirt and socks. He was apparently getting ready for work when Deb had crashed through the door of his home and eating part of his neck and shoulder. The wounds were deep and fresh, and hideously red and ragged. She'd been hungry but she'd left him for some reason, her meal interrupted possibly.

He moved in further and his wide blue eyes found what was most likely the cause of the interruption. She was also the source the crying. A woman with graying hair and wearing a house coat sat hunched up in the floor staring at the body who was probably her husband. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, blood covered her hands and brightly colored frock. She was rocking back and forth and sobbing, in her hand was clutched a large and very bloody butcher knife.

Shaun walked in at an angle slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for anything, but making sure to stay out of reach of her knife. Very softly he spoke to the woman. "Ma'am, where'd she go? Do you know where she went?"

"She...she kept...biting him...she was eating him...my god the blood." Her voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. Her eyes weren't leaving the body. "I tried to stop her...tried to get her away...."

Shaun could hear the disbelief and shock in her voice. But before he could respond or ask anything further, he sensed movement out of the corner of his eye. He was in the middle of bringing the shotgun around when she jumped him. She came from the shadows of the hallway, teeth bloody and seemingly huge. A gurgle of sound came from her throat, half growl, half hiss. There were fresh stab wounds on her neck and head that were streaming red blood down the night shirt she was wearing. Deb's eyes were white with the death that had claimed her.

Luckily the shotgun managed to block her attack, but only as a barrier. His finger pulled the trigger on accident and managed to shoot off a round into the kitchen, taking out some plates left over from breakfast and causing his ears to ring. Shaun held on as the vibrations went up his arms, causing his muscles to ache from the kickback. Between the gun force and the zombie he fell backwards hard, landing on the hard wood floor with a thwack.

He let out a cry and struggled, trying to push the damn thing off. He kicked at her but she kept trying to get at him. She was strong and she was ravenous, and she was on top. That gave her the advantage. The woman with the knife had started screaming again, but she wasn't showing signs of moving to help. Shaun managed to glance over and see her squirming away, across the floor, away from him. "Great..." He squeaked out and tried shoving the gun harder into Deb's chest, as her teeth snapped at him.

Out of nowhere something large and black slammed into the side of the things head. Shaun got hit with a spatter of blood on his cheek from the blow, causing him to turn away as the re-animated Deb was knocked off of him and landed on her back about a foot away. He saw a blur of movement as someone jumped over him and stood by the now stunned zombie.

Emily looked down at what was once her friend. The head was pretty messed up right now. Bashed in and bloody, with bits of bone showing through the hair. She was trying to move even now, no doubt wanting to eat her. Emily wiped a tear from her eye and raised the pole above her head. "I'm sorry Deb...I'm so sorry." She said the words softly and then brought the pole down square into Deb's forehead as hard as she could. The sound was beyond disgusting, a squelching crunch that she'd always remember. But after a slight jerking of her limbs, Deb stopped moving for good.

Shaun got to his feet quickly, just as she'd brought the black metal down in the strike. He went to her side and looked down at what was left of her friend. "Em..." He said her name, trying to get her to look at him instead of the mess on the floor.

She turned around and just grabbed hold of him, burying her face in his jacket and crying. He put his arm around her and held her close. No one should have to go through what she'd just done.

Emily let herself just cry for a moment, just a moment. They needed to get out of here before whoever was in charge of this type of thing arrived and they'd have to explain the lunacy that just happened. She looked up at Shaun, her eyes streaming tears. "You've got red on you." She said softly, touching his cheek that was smeared.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead then pulled back and gave her a stern look. "Thank you for saving my ass, but I told you to stay downstairs, don't you ever listen?"

"You asked me to stay downstairs, but I never told you I would." She replied. "And your ass is too cute not to save." She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath, looking over at the woman with the knife. "We need to get her to a doctor or something."

"She's in shock I think." Shaun looked around the shambles of the room. "But you're right. We need to get someone here. But as soon as we call someone we need to find out where Deb's boss is."

Emily realized he was right. "Oh lord, the reporter. He's still out there."

"Right," Shaun nodded and started heading towards the door of the apartment. "And he's probably hungry."

Emily walked over Deb towards Shaun. As she passed by the corpse of the man his hand moved suddenly and grabbed her ankle. He made a long, gurgling moan that caused blood to trickle out along his torn esophagus. Em let out a cry. "Shaun Help!"

The woman with the knife let out a wail. "Eric!! NO!!"

Shaun let out a yell. "Emily left!" He swung the shotgun around and Emily tossed herself to the left as far as she could.

The blast was straight on, and Eric's head exploded along with the daisies and assorted flowers that sat behind him in a shower of brain and plant. Emily pulled herself out of his grip and hurried over to Shaun. "Are you alright?" He asked her, checking her over to make sure he didn't nick her with some stray shot.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Her eyes looked behind him. "Oh...no."

Shaun turned to see what new bad thing had shown up. "Lord..." The lady with the knife had apparently reached her limit, seeing her husband come back to life and becoming the very thing that had killed him. She'd plunged the knife into her own chest, and was now slumped against the wall. Shaun closed his eyes and Em sent up a silent prayer for the poor woman that she'd never even met before today.

Shaun turned and faced his girl. "We've got to get out of here, fast. Do you have anything you need to get out of the apartment?"

Em thought for a moment. "Just my clothes I think."

He nodded. "Go get them and be quick about it."

She hurried off and while she was doing that Shaun walked over to the tragic figure of the housewife. "I have to be sure old dear. Just let me take a look." He checked her over as well as he could for bite marks. "Thank God." He said softly, standing up. She was bite free. He didn't think he could handle having to blow her head off too today. Her husband was enough.

Emily stood in the doorway when he turned round. "I've got everything and I grabbed Deb's badge for her building. That way we can get in if we have to."

"Good thinking Watson." He replied. With one last look into the splattered room Shaun led them towards the stairs.

When they got to the sidewalk, Shaun could hear the sirens just barely on the air. "They're coming. Let's go." He grabbed Emily's arm and they jogged in the opposite direction of the noise. As they turned the corner to Shaun's street, his phone rang. Emily pulled it from her pocket and handed it to him.

He slowed just a bit as he said "Hello?" Then he let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah mate, don't think I'll be making lunch. Something big has come up."


	9. Chapter 9 Little cars, long coats, and b...

**Doobie Doobie Doobie Doobie Disclaimer! Same fanfic time, same fanfic channel! Nope I don't own anything but Emily. But my love and respect for the wonder that is Simon Pegg still grows, if that's possible. (sigh) **

**Sorry it's taken so long to update. Thank you all so very much for your reviews! Darn reality is taking me away from my beloved Shaun and that's just not nice. By the way, I have a Spaced fanfic I'm posting on my LiveJournal. It stars the equally beloved PeggLeggs and the cast of Spaced as zombies invade their part of London. If you are interested feel free to take a gander. Wackiness with Tim and Daisy plus the living dead, what's not to love? On to the saga that is Shaun of the Dead 2: Deadhead Boogaloo. **

They got back to Shaun's flat in record time. Emily collapsed on the couch while Shaun started pacing. "Okay...so we know this much." He muttered as he walked; running his fingers through his short, ginger colored hair. "There's at least one more out there loose..."

"Her boss..." Emily let her head fall back on the cushions, and then looked up. "We need to go to their office. That's where she saw him last. And maybe we can find out more about this place she saw in those pictures." She stood up and then her eyes widened. "I just thought of something."

Shaun stopped and turned to look at her. "What?"

"How would they get those pictures? Some place like that has to have some kind of security or something right?" She moved took a step towards him, chewing her lower lip.

"Yeah, it would have to have some kind of policing...they wouldn't want it out that they were keeping what used to humans in cages." Shaun's face grew grave. "For fucks sake, a lot of people think they put those poor things out of their misery. Who knows what they are using some of them for?"

Emily gave him a funny look. "But you guys use them for labor don't you or entertainment?"

He laughed harshly. "Oh yes of course. And all of us Britons just love it don't you know." He turned his back to her and looked out the window at the lonely little shed that Ed used to have as a home, his eyes growing misty. "We're all fucking ghouls to everyone."

"Shaun I didn't mean..." She said, wishing she could take it back.

He turned back to her and gave her a sad smile. "I know love...it's just a sore spot. The ones you see being used are supposed to be those without family or people to claim them. I doubt that that is the case for a lot of them, but even if it is I still don't think it gives them a right to exploit them like that. They should be put to rest for good. Ed was the only one I have ever seen that was able to be...calmed. He was different and I'm not sure why."

Emily smiled at him. "He had you."

Shaun actually blushed at that, his gaze falling to the floor. "Nah, it wasn't me. Ed's just a stubborn bastard I guess." He cleared his throat and turned serious. "You're right though...it wouldn't have been easy to get those pictures. They must have gotten an inside source or something. We need to find out in case, well in case someone else may have been bitten."

Emily nodded. "We've got to be careful though. How many people can link us to what happened at the apartment? All we'd need is to be busted by the cops before we could figure out what's going on."

Shaun looked a bit strained. "Well, I'd guess anyone who saw me running like a lunatic down the street...either way we need to hurry." He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. "Hi Dom. It's Shaun, Shaun Riley. Yeah...I need that favor you owe me." His laughed nervously. "No..nothing like that. I need to borrow your car. Yeah, like now."

Less than an hour later they were zooming towards Deb's office in a mini cooper. Emily used to want one of the things, back when she thought they were cute. Now with Shaun driving like it was a scene out of the damn Italian Job she never wanted a car that could fit into her closet again.

As Shaun maneuvered the road like a man possessed, Emily decided to talk to him to keep her mind off of how car sick she was getting. "So who would be the ones in charge of this place they are keeping the zombies?"

Shaun swerved around a slower moving car and nearly threw her into the window. "I don't know...most likely some kind of government thing. I'm not really sure. All I know is we need to find this reporter..."

"Lon, that's his name." Emily said.

"We need to find this Lon and stop him before he does anymore nibbling." Shaun turned a quick right and Emily grabbed hold of her seatbelt for dear life.

They managed to make it to the office building in one piece. Emily considered this an act of God because there was no way they could have pulled off some of the maneuvers Shaun had done without divine intervention.

They parked and got out of the car. Shaun had dug out his old black trench coat before they had left the flat. It was a far better cover for the shotgun than his jacket, which was fairly obvious since half the gun stuck out from beneath it.

When he'd put it on and saw that it still fit he'd grinned widely at her. "Left over from my days as a Goth." He'd said be way of explanation. "Haven't worn it in years." If anything it made him look even more suspicious, but oh well. The coat fluttered around him like a cape in the chilly breeze that was blowing down the street, causing rubbish and leaves to move down the sidewalk as if carried by unseen hands.

Emily tried not to drool. She'd not told him about her obsession with men in black trench coats. In her opinion, and much to the chargin of the office girls back home, Keanu Reeves only saving grace was how good he looked in one. But then he always seemed to have to open his mouth and that just ruined it. Shaun on the other hand was damn distracting. She pulled her eyes away from him to look at the front of the office.

"So how are we going to do this?" She asked.

"Well, I guess we bluff our way in?" He sounded a bit uncertain, and taking her eyes off the building she saw him stroking his goatee thoughtfully.

"What do you have in mind?"

Shaun turned crafty blue eyes to her. "I'm guessing news about Deb hasn't reached here yet. We could lie and say you're here to pick some work up for her since she's sick at home and look around for Lon and whatever info we can find."

Emily nodded. "It's worth a try."

Each of them took a deep breath and walked into the lobby.

There was no one at the reception desk when they walked by, as well as no metal detectors, a fact that Shaun was very thankful for. He kept the shotgun held to his side as they walked over to the list of building occupants to find the floor they needed. He ran his finger along the gold lettering that covered the black piece of plastic while Emily nervously peered around for anyone who might wonder who the two of them were.

"Found it." Shaun said softly, he grabbed her elbow and led her over to the elevators. He pushed the up button and they waited.

"What do you think we are going to find up there?" Emily was starting to wonder if this was going to be another repeat of what they had just been through, and she didn't know if she was up for it this soon. 

"I don't know pickle," He replied. Seeing the worry in her face, he reached over and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Just stay by me and we'll be alright."

"I trust you Shaun." She said, and gave him a smile as she squeezed his hand back.

He felt his chest tighten at those words and at the way her eyes looked at him as she said them. He wanted to be worthy of that trust more than anything in the world. He wanted to keep her safe and make sure that nothing like Z-day ever happened again.

If it hadn't been for the simple fact that he knew she'd follow him anyway, short of tying her up with duck tape to the car, he wouldn't have let her come with him. But two pairs of eyes were better than one and she had saved his ass back at the apartment. The girl may have been able to take care of herself, but it didn't mean he had to like it.

The elevator arrived with a dinging noise that was louder than it should have been. Both of them jumped at the sound, Shaun nearly pulling the gun out and took aim. Thankfully the car was empty. Shaun went inside first and looked around. Not finding anything out of the ordinary he gestured for Emily to come inside.

With a silent prayer Shaun pushed the button for the floor that was home to the Nightly Reader. The doors closed on the two of them and they started the journey up.


	10. Chapter 10 A pictures worth a thousand m...

**Update, update, update! I've been neglecting my Shaunie. Yes I know. I shall be more attentive to him in the future (cuddles the Shaun.) This chapter is slightly short, but I will update more soon. I want to dedicate this chapter to the wonderful and soon to be closed Shaun Squad Board. It was an amazing time and I thank my lucky stars I joined it. Love to all my friends I have made on the board, and love to Simon Pegg who was sweet enough to actually join us on it from time to time. **

It took every ounce of will Shaun had not to flip the shotgun up and aim it at the center of the doors as they opened onto their floor. Freaking out a friendly secretary or worse yet a security guard would just not do. So, when the doors did open onto an empty reception area with nary a zombie in sight, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Cautiously he held up a hand, blocking Emily from walking out, and peered left and then right on either side of the doors. "It's clear, come on." He said softly.

They made their way out onto the eerily silent floor. Emily thought this place should have had at least some kind of activity. The quiet worried her.

"Do you know anything at all about her office?" Shaun asked her.

"Not really," she replied, "I only know her boss's name."

Suddenly a woman in a grey dress, two pencils sticking out of her hair came round the corner, causing both of them to jump and causing her to drop the files she'd been carrying.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said in a harried voice. "Didn't see you there."

Shaun, who at that moment had felt his heart go into his throat decided to start breathing again. "No worries. Didn't see you either." He replied.

Emily pried his fingers from around her arm and bent down to help pick up the pile. "Here let me get that for you." She said with a smile.

"Thanks so much." The girl said. "I'm on a deadline and if I don't get this turned in Lon's liable to chew me up and spit me out."

Emily turned wide eyes to Shaun whose eyes seemed even wider.

"Lon Barry?" She asked the girl.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"I know of him." She replied. "My friend works for him, her names Debbie."

"You know Deb?" The girl said smiling, standing up clutching the now gathered folders. "She's great. We talk every so often comparing stories about what a monster he is."

Emily swallowed down the knot forming in her throat. "Yeah, so I've heard." She gave a nervous laugh. "Uhm, she actually asked me to come by and pick up some work for her. She's real sick, but said she needed to get this done or she'd be as good as dead." After he words left her mouth she winced. Shaun trying not to groan merely shook his head as he kept look out.

"Oh that's too bad." The girl gestured for them to follow her. "Let me show you where she sits and then I have to get going on this baby."

The girl eventually introduced herself as Amy. While they walked, Amy told them that they were running with a skeleton crew for the week since most everyone was out on vacation or on assignment. Shaun and Em noticed that there were in fact a few people spread out in the nearly empty cubicle space. It reminded Emily of some kind of weird Dilbert form of purgatory.

Amy led them to an area with some enclosed small offices. In front of these were some cubicles. The one to the far right was Deb's.

"Here you go." Amy said with a smile.

"Hey, uhm, Amy…" Shaun said quickly, stopping her. "You haven't seen your boss lately have you?"

Amy looked at him thoughtfully for moment. "No not yet. He's usually out in the field though."

"You haven't seen him in his office?"

"No but I haven't looked yet either. I want to get this article complete before I have to face him today. His is the one right there." She pointed to one of the closed doors behind Deb's cube. "Deb got the honor of being right next to him. She SO loves that." She gave a wave. "See ya." And then she scampered off.

"Well, I guess that was convenient." Emily said letting out a breath.

"Very helpful girl." Shaun nodded and then glanced around the cubicle. "So what should we be looking for?"

"I'm not sure," Emily started peering around the file folders scattered along Deb's desk. "I guess we'll know when we find it."

"Vague but true." Shaun's voice was muffled as he was searching under the desk for anything useful.

Em started looking in the file cabinet behind Deb's cube when something caught her eye on the floor next to Lon's door. Eyes narrowing she headed over and picked it up. Her mouth fell open at the scene of two zombies fighting over what appeared to be a chunk of meat. They were behind bars, in a sort of cage. And it looked like there was another set of the sad creatures locked up next to them. It looked filthy and disgusting, even in the black and white of the photo.

"Shaun…I think I found what we are looking for." Her voice came out funny, even to her own ears.

"You did? What is it?" Shaun stood up to quickly and knocked his head on the metal desk. "OW...jeez." He walked over to her, rubbing his now tender cranium. When she handed over the picture to him, he forgot about the pain. "Holy Mary…where are these from?"

"I don't know." Em said, noticing the way he'd gone pale at the sight. "I found this laying here on the floor."

Suddenly a hand slammed into the frosted glass wall next to where they stood. They both jumped, letting out yelps of surprise, Emily grabbing hold of Shaun's arm. The hand slid slowly along the glass, as if trying to claw its way outside. The faintest sound of a moan could be heard through the wall.

"Well…" Shaun said, swallowing hard. "I think we've found Lon."


End file.
